Cage Foster can’t catch a break. The discovery of a dusty skeleton in the antebellum home he’s caring for is bad enough. But the unearthing of two fresh bodies, buried during his tenure at Ironwood Plantation, may land Cage on Mississippi’s death row. Even worse, the one person certain of his innocence is a pushy Yankee newcomer, a woman who talks too fast and still believes in the romance of the Old South.

A specialist in historical renovation, Dani Evans intends to restore Ironwood to its former glory while she rebuilds her life after the death of her mother. Death, hidden treasure, and falling in love with a murder suspect were not part of the plan. The lure of the infamous Ironwood treasure cache convinces Dani the skeleton is the key to unraveling the legend, and that the treasure itself is the motive for the murders.

Cage is certain an old grudge is setting him up for murder, but the evidence against him is mounting and time is running out. Dani believes she can find the truth before Cage is arrested, but her search for answers will uncover a descent into madness that should have stayed buried.

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.

My Review:

I love the way that Green plays with her writing style to create the perfect aura for a scene. The pace and flow of this story changes minutely to match the emotions and actions of the current scene. Green’s well crafted descriptions also paint the town for her audience while also allowing them the opportunity to use their imagination. This story is suspenseful as well as romantic. Green brings together a very well written, cohesive story that you won’t be able to put down.

This novel is completely set in the present day while remaining anchored by the history of the South. Green works a fully developed history of the area and of the plantation itself into the story. She presents it in a way that makes you feel like part of the town. The historical mystery behind this novel keeps you captivated throughout. It adds to the present day mystery while giving the story an additional element.

Characters that are recurring from the 1st novel in this series become more fully developed throughout. That said, Green ensures that she introduces each character as they first appear. Because of this, Skeleton’s Key can be read as a standalone, as well as reading it as the brilliant sequel to Tin God. New characters are also quite well developed. Each and every one has their own role and place in the story as a whole. None of these vividly realistic characters exist solely to be there. The large variety of character personalities that Green presents supplement and accent each other. They meld together in such a way that you really feel as if you get to know the whole town. The characters in this novel interact with each other very naturally, adding to this feeling.

Overall, this is a thought provoking and exciting novel. It was intensely satisfying on many levels.